Toothbrush



J. C. LEVINE June 12, 1951 TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 15, 1947 ling Fig. 3 Inventor Jack 6. Levine 1 By W W MQW,

Patented June 12, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved tooth brush of an extensible and retractable type which, because of its relatively small size, when collapsed, is highly and satisfactorily adaptable for efiicient use by travelers in that it may be carried in ones pocket, in a pocket book, or the like.

Needless to say, I am sufiiciently conversant with the state of the art to which the invention relates to appreciate that tooth brushes have been constructed in foldable form with a view toward promoting factors of compactness and convenience and for pocket book and ocket use. What is more) I am aware that the prior art teaches it to be old to utilize a relatively short shank or handle portion carrying the bristle head, the same being hingedly or otherwise foldably connected with a casing or the like which often functions, when in use, as a part of the handle structure.

An object of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon kindred tooth brushes such as fall in the category under advisement, this being accomplished through the medium of a simple sheath in which the tooth brush proper is slidably mounted for projectible and retractable utility, said sheath being provided with a simple cover which encloses the sheath, and also the tooth brush, when the latter is not to be used. 7

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon a sheath which is channel-shaped in cross sectional form and which is open at one end and closed at the opposite end, the side flanges or walls serving to mount a slidable portion of the tooth brush, and tooth brush carrying adaptor ears or the like on the hinged and slidably mounted cover member.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a folding tooth brush constructed in accordance with this invention and showing the same folded and concealed;

Figure 2 is a view showing the cover opened up and the brush partly projected, said view being based on Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the anchorable end of the tooth brush showing the removable assembling and hinge pin,

2 Referring now to the drawing by distinguishing reference characters a tooth brush, as a unitary device is denoted by the numeral 6 and comprises a relatively short handle or shank l with I a bristle equipped head 8 at one end. At the opposite or inner end of the shank an integral attaching and sliding block 9 is provided and this has a bore It to accommodate an insertable and removable hinging and assembling pin I l.

cludes a bottom or web i3 and spaced parallel 'side walls or flanges M and E5 of duplicate construction. These flanges are provided with elongated slots T6 to accommodate end portions of the assembling and hinging pin I I. It will be noticed that the left hand end portion of the sheath is closed in that I provide a transverse end wall at ll and a similar topping wall at Ila, the two completely enclosing this end of the sheath. Also the wall l'i-a coacts with the flanges 13 and M in defining a shoulder H3. The block 9 fits snugly and slides between the web 13 and flanges I4 and I5. with the interior of one of said flanges.

The brush and casing means includes, as before indicated, a cover unit or section It and this is adapted to cap over and enclose the otherwise open portions of the sheath. The side walls 2i! are provided with finger niches 2| to facilitate open- H ing and closing the cover. The end portions of the side Walls 22 straddle the side flanges of the sheath and are hingedly attached to the extending end portions of the assembling pin II. The

short wall 23 closes the outer end of the cover and. the top wall 24 substantially closes the topportio'n'but-terminates short at the point 25 and comprises a shoulder to coact with the shoulder I 8. It follows that the portions l1 and 24 together provide effective closing means for the socalled top of the casing. Normally the cover is down over the sheath portion l2 and the brush is retracted into same in order that both parts I2 and i9 constitute an effective enclosing case for said brush. The brush is then protected against soilage and is in readiness for use whenever necessary or desired. The cover section may be lifted up and swung open to expose the brush. Then holding the cover section as a sort of an actuator, the two together coact with the brush and sheath enabling the brush to be projected beyond the open end of the sheath, this to the desired distance.

The tooth brush 6 is adapted to slide and be re- 7 The shank 1 has wiping or sliding contact suitable handle :foroperating the brush. The

sheath however-"is eiTectively closable by the cover means and all of the parts are therefore properly cooperable in providing a structure which attains the ends wanted.

A careful consideration of the foregoing de-" scription in conjunction with the inventionzras illustrated in the drawing will. enable the reader. to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and noveltyzjsufr;

ficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from,

the invention as claimed.

Having. described the claimed .as new is:

1. A pocket type tooth brush. of the class deinvention, what. is

scribed comprising a sheath embodying a web,-

spaced parallel side walls connected with and. at right angles to said-web,- saidside walls having elongated slots, said sheath being open at one end, closed; at an opposite end and-partly open along its tom-said. slots rangingfrom points just inwardly of saidLclosed end-to peints spaced in.

Wardly from said open end; a relatively srnall projectible and.-retractable tooth brushembo'clying a shank having .a head at its outer endand a blockat its inner end, saideblock being slidable in said sheath andcarrying an assembling andactuatingfpin, the end portionsof the pin being slidablein the-slots, and a cover for said sheath embodying sides hingedly connected with.

end portions of said pin, .whereby-said cover may be-swung-open and then slid relatively to the sheath for purposes of moving the tooth brushin andout in relationto the sheath.

2. In a projectible-and retractable'tooth brushconstruction of the .classdescribed, a sheath,

channelwshaped in cross section andsopenaat.

one-end, closed at an oppositeend, and partially.

openaalong its top, the side walls of said sheath having longitudinal oppositely disposed-slotsextending from said closed endto said openlend, a

relativelysmall tooth brush comprisinga bristle head/and a shank, saidshankbeinglprovidedat one end withan integral block; said block: con--. stituting aslide and being disposed betWeensaid-r sidewalls, a pin -carried by said slide andtslidec ably ,mounted in said slots, and a cover for said.

sheath, said cover also being channel-shaped in cross section and including side Walls and a web connecting the side walls with each other, said cover fitting over the sheath and being closed at its outer end, the latter serving to close the otherwise open outer end of said sheath, said cover also being closed along its top and having sides attached to the aforementioned pin.

3. In a projectible and. retractable tooth brush construction of the class shown and described, an elongated sheath closed at one end and open at the opposite end, the top of the sheath being openior the greater part of its length but closed with "a relatively short top wall at the afore mentioned closed end of the sheath, said top wall providing a shoulder, the side walls of said sheath"being"provided* with longitudinal slots, said.slots:extending from points inwardly of said closed end to points? just inwardly of said open-end, a substantially rectangular .block slidablymountedin said channel between the side walls and bottom of the channel, .a tooth brush having. a shank portion. attached" at one end to said block, said shank portion. being in sliding. contact. with. the interior of oneof thetslottedo walls, said shank being provided on its outer end with a bristle..brush,.the block. and .tooth brushlbeing adapted to recede wholly within. the. confines of said .sheath,. and. a cover also channel-shaped in crosssection including .a web constituting a top .for .the .otherwiseopen .porr.

tion of theItop of said.sheath, having side .walls enclosing. the slotted side walls of the sheath and 1. having .a closed .end closing the otherwise open.

end .of the sheath, said web being adaptedto abut. the, aforementioned shoulder, the side walls hav-..

ing. extensions projecting beyond the 'correspondingend of the web, said extensions straddling the slotted walls of said sheath, and .a pinpiercvingtheextensions and block and passing through and, beyond the. respective slots..

JACK. C. LEVINE.

REFERENCES CITED.

Theiollowing references are of record in the file-of this patent:

UNITED' STATES"PATENTS Number Name Date 1,134,459 Kalina. Apr.,;6, 1915 1,358,597? Tobias, Nov. 9, 1920.! 1,537,467 Ingle MaylZ. 1925 1. 2,236,240 Lowen Mar; 25, .1941 1'. 2,404,815. Satz et al. July 3.0,.1946

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 886,110 France June21, 1943 

